sunset from behind the wire

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Yesterday, the BSA announced that girls who identify as boys will now be allowed to join the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts – marking a complete capitulation to the gender and sex revolutionaries, and to the 'social justice warriors'.

From what I can gather, it would be better if they simply changed the name to the "Scouts of America" since it's no longer going to be a "boy-run organization" at the troop level.

Having been a Boy Scout and having been a council commissioner over a very large council of 33,000 Boy Scouts in the California Inland Empire Council in the past, I do have the capacity to lens this situation. Somewhere around 90% of Boy Scout troops are sponsored by religious organizations in the US. That number may have changed a little since I was a commissioner over a decade ago, but I doubt that it's changed by that much. Based on my experience, the bulk of those churches, which are predominantly Christian denominations, would have an issue with girls as part of those troops whether or not they identify as male. I'm sure that any "separate but equal" treatment of trannies within scout ranks would be met with lawsuits in 'progressive' jurisdictions with tranny judges.

Scouts of America

The death nell of the BSA has been struck. It is time for Churches to withdraw from the scouting program and allow the organization to die a slow, progressive, death with 10% or less of its current membership.

This change would allow the introduction of tranny and homosexual scoutmasters and there goes the program, sacrificed on the altar of social justice.

Monday, January 30, 2017

I recommend this incisive analysis on the behavior surrounding the left's hysterical reaction to the election of President Trump. I'll quote a bit for you, but it's worth your effort to read the entire article.

"These groups just end up competing to see who is more oppressed because it is the mechanism through which they attempt to solve problems."

The problem arises when you have a discourse fully detached from reality. It’s beyond satirical and grotesque in how much stupidity is exhibited. A typical comment on my social feed might state something to the following effect, “I’m a woman of color,” she’s attending some school in Maine and she’s saying, “I’m afraid. Can I still go to class?” Just work it through. What’s going to happen when Trump becomes president? He sets up roadblocks on every street corner whereby he whisks away all people of color to the designated gang-rape centers? What could explain that hysteria? The only thing that explains it is a departure from reality — and hence collective Munchausen syndrome.

...Everyone who is suffering from collective Munchausen and mass hysteria are obviously of a particular political bent — the ultra-Left (who typically belong to the Democratic Party). And these people have built their whole ethos, edifice, zeitgeist on Identity Politics. Identity Politics leads to victimology poker and the oppression olympics. These groups just end up competing to see who is more oppressed because it is the mechanism through which they attempt to solve problems. If you and I are having a genuine debate, I would present my evidence and you yours. The better evidence would win out.

That’s not what happens in an Identity Politics debate. My victimology card has to trump yours! therefore people have to come up with ever stronger cards and hands and end up falling into victim mindsets. This leads to people thinking absurd lines of thought like — and I’m being satirical here — : “How will I go to the store and feel safe buying tomatoes once Trump is in office?” or “What will happen to my children? Will Trump cause us to cannibalize our children?” “Will sex still be permitted?” When you’re getting into that kind of delusional discourse it seems extraordinary that this is viewed as reasonable discourse. These are professors, these are colleagues of mine who feel perfectly comfortable departing from reality in this way.

I suggested a couple of days ago that the Black Lives Matter (BLM) group has been pushed to the side by the hysterical left and their cheerleaders in the corrupt, smug, progressive, elite, mainstream media. The 'vagina marchers' have out-shouted BLM...for the moment.

The Muslims are now trying to out-shout the angry women who were marching for the right to continue to kill their unborn children - even though nobody is threatening that "right". Whether the Muslim victimhood is greater than that of BLM or the vagina marchers remains to be seen.

There is no Melania Monday post from Lone Star Parson because Blogger obliterated his blog for insulting the prophet Mohammed and Islam. In fact, LSP is on an airplane bound for the UK today and for that reason as well, he's out of pocket for a couple of weeks. However while he's doing that, Juliette's son, Harrison. will be building lonestarparson.com and he will return with all of our favorite blog posts as time moves forward. He's in good spirits and is on a well deserved vacation.

Tradesmen

ME- "What time is it? You said you'd be here two hours ago to work on the house."

BUBBA- "Uh, I had other things going on."

ME- "More important than doing work here for which you were to be paid?"

BUBBA- "I guess."

ME (channeling Trump)- "You're fired. This isn't a government job."

So it goes. There are repairs that need to be made to the present house before I can put it up on the market. Finding somebody who will show up on time and do an honest day's work is challenging. Thus, despite a busy schedule, I am taking time from my day today (Monday) to engage new people to show up on time and do what it is that they are being paid to do.

It seems to be such a burden to the trades to show up on time. Moreover, they feel put upon when I require that they work a full day for the agreed day's pay. So I've gone to Plan B. I'll report back on my success or lack thereof.

There is three feet of snow on the level at the White Wolf Mine in Arizona, and while I'd enjoy being there (in a completed home), I'm making do with 75 degree days in SoCal.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

I'm going to make a list because I have a few things on my mind. Let's start HERE.

"...Look, these countries don't have a database that keeps track of its citizens. And we can't depend on a government database in countries that do, because if they have one it has a political agenda behind it."

Welcome to the Sunday Sermonette!

(1)The German experience has been a disaster. Allowing a million military age Muslim males to enter your country without vetting where they go on welfare - with no intention of getting off public assistance and either make nuisances of themselves or kill innocent Germans, is a mistake that a five year old child wouldn't make.

(2) The Saudi experience has worked. They've taken in precisely 0 Syrian refugees. Their opinion is that they don't want any of human lice entering their country. The Iranian experience has also worked. They've taken in precisely 0 Syrian refugees. One can draw from these facts that their brother Muslims don't want them - not any of them. The Muslims are thrilled to have the Christian nations take them in, feed them and deal with their shenanigans. And who knows but what one day, they will be numerous enough in Germany to vote Germans out of office and make Germany an Islamic state and part of the caliphate.

(3)President Trump's plan to create safe zones where we can concentrate refugees, and offer food, shelter and protection to the displaced masses INSIDE SYRIA makes perfect sense. Why must they leave if they can get what they need until the situation finds equilibrium? The Americans, Russians, French, German or British Armies can take turns protecting them from their Muslim brethren. Why would we want to bring them into the US? What possible advantage is there to us to have them live here as opposed to there?

(4) President Trump's plan to allow a special dispensation to Christian refugees does make some sense because they were discriminated against in favor of Muslims during the Obama regime. The Muslims are outraged, but I don't think that President Trump cares.

(5)Not in my back yard. Many of the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who were resettled in the USA in the past couple of years were placed into communities by the federal government without asking the locals whether or not they were wanted. In almost every case, they were not. I personally think that they all belong in progressive San Francisco because it's resembling a third world nation more every day and the Syrians would feel comfortable there.What about Mexico?

What about Black Lives Matter?

Oh you haven't heard much from them lately? The progressive movement kicked them to the curb after November election and they they have been replaced politically by female reproductive systems!

I think that there is an interest in some liberal precincts that chasing the womyn's vote would be more productive than the black vote - because of indications that they like the idea of jobs in the ghetto, and the illegal alien vote because that may be made moot by investigations into widespread voter fraud.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Many of you have read a blog written by our mutual friend LONE STAR PARSON (LSP). It no longer exists because Google wiped it out. It wiped out his URL and all the posts that he made to the Internet.

I was responding to his blog post on the Islamic reaction to President Trump's temporary travel ban from the seven nations whose citizens posed a threat to the US. These are nations where extreme vetting procedures are being formulated to determine friend from foe.

Google said that his blog was violent and that was reason to remove it and all posts from the Internet for all time.

Michael is a personal friend of mine, I know his sons and many of his friends and members of his Anglican congregation in Hillsboro, Texas. He's a man of God who is deeply concerned about America. He also supported President Donald Trump, which may be another reason that his blog was wiped out by Google.

I don't know how much longer Virtual Mirage will be available. Maybe I'm next? If my blog isn't up tomorrow, you'll know why.

Note the photo at the very bottom of my blog:

When I first started blogging, I thought that it was only a matter of time before it was chopped. Amazingly it wasn't. Now that the left is under pressure, they and their friends must be getting desperate.

The smug, corrupt, progressive, elite mainstream media howled with laughter when President Trump complained of massive voter fraud and ordered an investigation. The Democrats made the rounds on the cable news shows mocking President Trump and suggesting that he was insane - and they made the point that no investigation was necessary.

What a contrast from their support for Communist/Green Party Candidate Jill Stein who demanded recounts after the election of Donald Trump. Stein who didn't carry 1 county in the USA had very little standing, but the Democrats and the corrupt, elite, mainstream media stood solidly behind her. You don't see the same support for a nationwide investigation into voter fraud...and it gives me pause.

This article is making the rounds today and you can give it whatever weight that you'd like to assign it:

(Washington Times) Hillary Clinton garnered more than 800,000 votes from noncitizens on Nov. 8, an approximation far short of President Trump’s estimate of up to 5 million illegal voters but supportive of his charges of fraud.

Political scientist Jesse Richman of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, has worked with colleagues to produce groundbreaking research on noncitizen voting, and this week he posted a blog in response to Mr. Trump’s assertion.

Based on national polling by a consortium of universities, a report by Richman said 6.4 percent of the estimated 20 million adult noncitizens in the U.S. voted in November. He extrapolated that that percentage would have added 834,381 net votes for Clinton, who received about 2.8 million more votes than Mr. Trump.

The truth is that nobody knows how much voting fraud took place. There are counties in the USA where 100% of the vote is always cast for the Democrat (Pennsylvania comes to mind). That's statistically unlikely.

Historically American Mexican groups such as Hermindad, operating in Orange County, California, openly registered every single illegal alien that they could reach to vote in local or national elections. Investigations by the Orange County District Attorney's Office into these corrupt practices twenty years ago led to conclusive proof of widespread voter fraud. Is it happening today? Does a bear crap in the woods?

The dead who vote 'early and often' in Chicago are a cliche but still, they vote.

There are ways to fix the voter fraud problem and I suspect that President Trump's investigation will show enough fraud to require a fix. The Democrats, who historically benefit from voter fraud, are not interested in a fix or the requirement that people show citizenship documents in order to vote.

In Mexico you need a government issued voting card/ID card in order to cast a vote, and they punch your ID when you vote. Every few years you need a new card. If you don't vote at all in something like seven voting cycles, you lose your national identity card (required for a passport). Obviously the Mexicans take voting integrity a lot more seriously than the Americans do.

I have no idea whether the portents are good for me, but the Year of the Fire Rooster (cooked chicken?) is upon us. It should be a good year for KFC no matter how things work out for the rest of us.

New Years celebrations in Asia are different than they are in the West because they are also the rough comparative of the "day of the dead" as practiced in other parts of the world.

The Year of the Fire Monkey (2016) was a good year for me and I don't know if it had anything to do with a fire monkey or not. I'm not all that superstitious.

Never the less, I wish all of you who need an excuse to celebrate a profound celebration as the year changes to that of the Fire Rooster!

I asked a Buddhist friend what characteristics one might expect from one who was born in the Year of the Fire Bird. The Fire Bird/Rooster year is the most volatile of all Chicken signs (Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, and Metal) He consulted a tome and summarized that they will tend to be smug, narcissistic, ego-driven jerks. It will be a good year for journalists and politicians-to-be. A great year for actors bound for Hollywood.

Next year, 2018, is the Year of the Earth Dog. Likely a less tempestuous year from a Chinese astrological perspective. Donald Trump was born in the year of the Fire Dog, for those of you who are keeping track. People born in the Dog year are typically prudent, loyal, kind, honest, cautious and play well with others.

Lunar new years come in sixty-year cycles. We won't see the return of the fire bird year for some time to come. Is that a reason to celebrate? Only if the sun is over the yard arm...When you're finished celebrating the Year of the Fire Rooster, you can begin your countdown to Carnival, which is not unlike celebrating the new year or anything else, except that it's done wearing less clothing.

You don't have to wait sixty years until the next Carnival because people that did that wouldn't look good enough to parade around (nearly) naked, wearing feathers and silk. The reason that I mention it here is that many of the Carnival folks wear feathers, which is an appropriate tribute to the year of the Fire Rooster, I guess.

Except that they wore the same feathers during the Carnival celebration celebrated in the Year of the Monkey. Maybe it was a dress rehearsal for the Chicken Year? I think that I need to buy an airplane ticket and fly to Carnival so that I can ask that probative question.

Shortly after being sworn in, President Trump ordered federal agencies to ease the "regulatory burdens" of ObamaCare. Agencies are ordered to "waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement" of Obamacare in hopes that this order will lower the burden on individuals, families and patients as the President and the Congress work on a permanent solution to Obamacare.

Withdrawing from TPP

The President wasted no time in ending the United States support of the disastrous TPP trade deal by withdrawing our country from it on Monday. President Trump called the move, "a great thing for the American workers."

Spurring American Jobs

On Tuesday, President Trump re-opened the door for the Keystone and Dakota Access pipeline to be built with an executive order. Also included were related orders that would speed up the timeline on the project by streamlining the permitting process and cut through more government red tape. From here on out, the pipeline will use steel pipes made in America.

Securing Our Borders

President Trump is moving forward with several items that will secure our borders and keep Americans safe! He plans on stripping federal grant money to dangerous sanctuary cities, hiring 5,000 more Border Patrol agents, ending "catch-and-release" policies for illegal immigrants, and reinstating local and state immigration enforcement partnerships. The Mexican leadership knows that they're going to build the wall. They just want it kept quiet from the rest of their country. They also know that the $60 billion trade imbalance that they feasted on in 2016 was the last one of those for a long time if ever.

Remembering our Allies

Today, British Prime Minister Theresa May met with President Trump. Prime Minister May appears optimistic about the visit saying, "So as we rediscover our confidence together -- as you renew your nation just as we renew ours -- we have the opportunity -- indeed the responsibility -- to renew the special relationship for this new age. We have the opportunity to lead, together, again."

Next Week:

Protecting the Constitution

Next Thursday President Trump is slated to announce his choice to fill the vacancy left on the Supreme Court after the loss of Justice Antonin Scalia last February. This is a highly anticipated announcement, as this new justice will shape the future of our nation by weighing into decisions that have reached the highest court.

We're witnessing the plan to make America great again unfold and it's a wonderful thing.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

The White House Press Briefing Room as we know it, will soon be no more. Its replacement will be four times as large and it will located at the White House Conference Center, across the street from the White House. Plans are being drawn up as I type.

Currently, the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room is a small theater in the West Wing of the White House. It is located between the workspace assigned to the White House press corps and the office of the Press Secretary.

The White House press corps will no longer have offices in the White House. They can make do as best they can at a small dedicated area in the Conference center. CNN is furious. MSNBC is having grand mall seizures, and the small boys think that it's an improvement.

In the past, the Briefing Room was an exclusive club for the corrupt, progressive, smug, elite mainstream media types who were "Chief White House Correspondents" for their respective publications and media outlets. Seats were assigned by the White House Correspondents' Association. The more elite members got the first questions every day and sat in the first two rows.

Soon there will be Skype (virtual) opportunities to ask questions. Bloggers can participate. Members of the public (up to 50) will be invited to the daily press briefing and the public can ask questions. They may even get the first few questions of the day depending on the whim of the White House Press Secretary. Without assigned seating it could be members of the public who are sitting up front. The monopoly is gone. Did I mention that the corrupt, elite, smug, progressive mainstream media isn't happy?

The White House Press Corps used to travel on Air Force One. The number of newsies that will be invited in the future will be much smaller than it once was... The pool can charter an airplane if they want to trail along. Or they can charter a number of airplanes -- up to them.

The press declared war on President Trump - then the empire strikes back... "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." - Mahatma Gandhi

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

I think that the placement of the US Embassy in Israel is a matter that can only be decided by Israel and the USA. The Mohammedans don't have much to say in the matter. We shouldn't pay much attention to them in my opinion.And if they want to attack the US, I'd refer them to the term Arc Light.

Israel defeated the Palestinians two generations ago. They won fair and square.

I am not saying that I'd be in favor of bombing innocent citizens into the stone age. You can drop leaflets the day before and ask them to move before you turn their fetid ghetto cities into brick dust.

3 B-52's in an arrowhead formation can completely wipe out an area 1 mile x 1/2 mile. Take it from one who's seen it from an unsafe distance. It's like the maw of hell opened and swallowed the place. From there it's just a matter of sorties, and how many bombs you have in inventory. (when we're done there, we can move east and do the same thing to ISIS) Expensive bombs are not necessary. Iron gravity bombs will do. Then it's just a matter of how many sorties it will take to make the Palestinian homeland look like the surface of the Moon. Do I sound too bellicose? ---sorry (not really)

Times have changed in the US and we don't have corrupt, timid, metrosexual leaders anymore who fear to utter the words, "radical Islamic terrorism". The present doctrine is to ERADICATE them - which means to kill them and all who support them. I don't know if the Palestinians believe that. We'll see, won't we?

Defining Terms

Fatah is a political party and terror organization.

Hamas, which operates as the ruling party, calling the shots with the elected government in power in Palestine today is a terror organization.

Sub rosa: (The Palestinian terrorists don't like you to say "Ham As(s)". That's politically incorrect. You have to say it as one word, Hamas, which is not a delicious paste made of chick peas, garlic and spices that you scoop up with pita bread - don't confuse these things, or they will kill you. They may kill you anyway, but these things really make them mad. Particularly the Ham As(s) reference because pigs are unclean and it means that they have dirty asses - which they likely do, but ---- you get it, right? Nobody asked you to refer to members of Ham As(s) as a bunch of pigs butts. Some have opined that they don't eat bacon because it would be a form of cannibalism. I have no opinion on the matter.)

The media never compare
the Palestinian eagle to
a Nazi eagle...why not?

Defining MORE Terms - and I'll keep doing this until you get it right. There may be a quiz:

The terms "all means," "peaceful uprising,” and “popular uprising" are often used by PA leaders to refer to events that include violence and deadly terror against Israeli civilians such as rock-throwing, stabbings and even shootings. See Mahmoud Abbas' reference to murderous terror as "peaceful" during the 2015-2016 terror wave (“The Knife Intifada”), which included numerous stabbings, shootings and car ramming attacks in which 40 people were killed (36 Israelis, 1 Palestinian, 2 Americans and 1 Eritrean) and hundreds wounded.

Angry Pronouncements Yesterday- Which are the same pronouncements that they put out darned near every day - since I started paying attention to this clown parade about forty years ago.

Deputy Secretary of Fatah in Jerusalem, Shadi Mattour: "We in Fatah, at all levels of the movement and the leadership, have said that this is a declaration of war, the collapse of the peace process, and that it will cause an explosion in the street. Fatah has begun a series of meetings with all of the field leaders at the branches, in Shabiba (youth movement), and all its offices, in preparation for a fierce popular intifada if this decision is carried out. We won't be embarrassed or hesitate to take to the streets and return to confronting the occupation using all means (i.e., including violence) if this decision is implemented. If the embassy is moved, we think that America and the entire world will be witness to the collapse of the peace process and instability, and not only in Palestine. Yesterday, Fatah said in a statement that this will cause an explosion in the entire world."

[Official PA TV, The Occupied Capital, Jan. 24, 2017]

This should surprise you all! The American corrupt, smug, progressive, elite mainstream media and the former American regime led by Barack Hussein Obama were pro-Palestinian. Barack tried to get them $211 million to buy better weapons the day before President Trump took over, but the money never moved. Insh-Allah.

DNC Chair candidate Sally Boynton Brown goes off on a long rant (below) about white privilege at the DNC Chair Candidates Forum (January 23rd, 2017). Her way forward for the Democrats is, "If you're white, shut the hell up." I really hope that she is elected DNC Chair. She could do a lot to advance the further destruction of the Party. They need to move further left in the hopes of being the party of grievance rather than the "party of the common man and woman" - which is quickly becoming the party of President Trump.

A Winning Strategy

If I was DNC Chair (and nobody asked me to be - I'm just saying "if"), I'd commission 330 million vagina hats to be knit so every person in America could have one. Children would wear them in school. They'd be a massive hit on college campuses. They'd be worn by cowboys in Texas and Oklahoma, by oil workers in the Dakotas, and by FBI Special Agents as they went about their duties. The military would replace their uniform headgear with them and it would be progressive and glorious. Just think of those votes rolling in...

The Democrat Party through their mouthpieces in the corrupt, smug, progressive, elite mainstream media have been crowing over the past week that Donald Trump was elected president because of RACISM. However, the last time I looked, Hillary Clinton was also white. So if she won, would it have been due to racism?

So I'm announcing here today that I'm starting a new foundation soon, called PUSH-LEFT! The goal is to move the Democrats away from worrying about the black vote, because they'll lose that when the inner cities are fixed and jobs are restored - and away from the labor unions, which they're losing anyway.

PUSH LEFT will empower everyone with a grievance, whether it's to grant Sharia Law to all Muslims in the US, to save whales or to insure that women have the right to kill their unborn children. All I need is YOUR MONEY. Contribute now with a check made payable to me personally. I'll make all of your progressive dreams come true. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

...and ladies, get your eyes off my package. Look here, up here. I hate to be sexually objectified because I'm a man.

Your gift for contributing $100 is an Emergency Clown nose, to put on whenever you attend a PUSH LEFT rally.

Your gift for contributing $1,000 or more is a pink vagina hat. You need to wear the hat whenever you are in a public place or when watching CNN or MSNBC at home. It shows your support for PUSH LEFT and any one of a number of other progressive causes.

Madonna wore a black pussy hat, which suggests that there is something wrong with her part. I'm not sure what that is and I don't want to speculate.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

On his first day in office, President Trump met with business leaders and then he met with union leaders. Both groups were very excited to work with the President to help bring jobs to the nation (and make America great again). The Democrats are outraged that Donald Trump is stealing their mojo. Union workers were their bread-and-butter voters. Maybe not anymore. The progressive movement has always preferred grievance voters to union members, who lowed like cattle on their way to the slaughterhouse as did inner city voters. Those two voting blocks are in danger of deserting the Democrats and their leadership understands that. They just don't know what to do to stop it -- other than calling the president dirty names, dressing up as vaginas, etc.

They strike back by giving $221,000,000 to Palestinians in the closing days of the Obama Administration. (more here). Barack also released billions of dollars to climate change organizations as a species of f#%k you to the American taxpayer. The grievance voters usually like this sort of largess from the government that's underwater to the tune of $21 trillion. My sense is that going forward, this sort of nonsense will be stopped and the damage done by the previous administration will be explained.

h/t Old NFO

On Day-One of the Trump Presidency, President Trump signed an executive order that banned US Taxpayer funded abortions outside of the USA. It's the so-called Mexico City Policy (read more here).

Why were we (the taxpayers) funding abortions outside of the USA - ever?

There are a lot of funding efforts outside of the US that President Trump will be stopping in his effort to focus on America first. The United Nations scams will be among the next to go under the funding knife.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

God of our fathers, known of old, Lord of our far-flung battle-line, Beneath whose awful Hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine— Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies; The Captains and the Kings depart: Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and a contrite heart. Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away; On dune and headland sinks the fire: Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is one with Nineveh and Tyre! Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe, Such boastings as the Gentiles use, Or lesser breeds without the Law— Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust In reeking tube and iron shard, All valiant dust that builds on dust, And guarding, calls not Thee to guard, For frantic boast and foolish word— Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!

Some of you who read this blog have commented that you are interested in current events in Mexico. Because of that, I'm giving you a brief update from my perspective.

There will be riots and demonstrations again in Mexico today. It will be bad in Tijuana. It's been bad enough lately that the USGOV has shut down the border crossing points from time to time. There is talk about the people taking over city hall in Tijuana today and I expect that you'll see that happen.

The mainstream media is focused on who designed Melania Trump's dress and how the designer needs to be punished socially, on how they really don't like that Donald Trump took the office and is now President, and how to get Hillary to take his place. But the situation in Mexico is dire in many parts of the country.

Gasoline

For a very long time (Petróleos Mexicanos)PEMEX , the Mexican national petroleum company explored, drilled, pumped and refined its own oil, providing the public with lower priced gasoline that still returned a profit to the State.

The Mexican drug cartels, most particularly Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), have laid pipes, tapping into PEMEX facilities and literally fill their own fuel trucks within sight of the PEMEX refineries. If anyone complains or the police get involved, they are murdered. Thus the cartels make billions of dollars by selling black market gasoline.

For the record, most drug cartels make more money on other businesses than they do on the drug trade. Some of those businesses are "legitimate", some as with fuel thefts, are not.

The U.S. private equity fund KKR and Mexico's Pemex concluded a $1.2 billion sale and leaseback agreement earlier this year. Pemex sold some of its infrastructure assets to the fund, but will continue to operate and maintain them for 15 years and pay rent to KKR.

What all this means is that gasoline south of the Border has risen to US$4.00+ per gallon. While that number makes eyebrows raise if it's in the USA, you need to remember that a good living family wage across the border in Tijuana, Mexico is US$200/week. Thus, filling your car's tank will cost you 25% of your take-home.

The Wall

The Border Wall is coming and it's going to work. Mexico will pay for the wall. Thus, Mexican families south of the wall won't be able to rely on illegal aliens running north to work and send money south. Mexico takes in about $2 billion a month in remittances. The Bank of Mexico tracks how much the country receives in remittances on a monthly basis. In 2015, Mexico took in nearly $25 billion in total. Mexicans are concerned.

Peace Offering and NAFTA

Mexico (somewhat suddenly) extradited Drug Kingpin Chapo Guzman to the US for President Trump's inauguration. They did this to curry favor, hoping to show that their heart is in the right place with the upcoming NAFTA renegotiation.

80% of all Mexican exports go to the USA, and Mexico is America's largest trading partner. There was a huge sucking sound when President Slick Willy (Bill) Clinton signed NAFTA, with jobs and money flowing to Mexico. Now, Mexico is very concerned that the sucking sound will be heard going in the other direction.

The exchange rate was 17 pesos to the dollar last year at this time. Today it's 22 pesos to the dollar, and Mexico has moved hard to keep it at that rate. Without MEXGOV intervention it would be much worse.

The next time ya'll are at Starbucks, and they ask for your name. Tell them it's Trump and make them call "TRUMP - TRUMP!" Yes, it's a trigger word and they may run, crying from the Starbucks, looking for a place to cower as they put on their onesie and suck their thumb. But wouldn't it be fun to watch?

Saturday, January 21, 2017

(Fox News) President Trump has returned a bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the Oval Office, which had been removed by Barack Hussein Obama in 2009.

Reporters first noticed that the bust had been placed back in the room on Friday, just as Trump was signing a series of executive orders at the Resolute desk.

Obama had moved the bust to the White House residence during his first few days in office and later installed a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in its place.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed last week that Trump had personally asked if England would loan the bust of Churchill to the U.S. once he took office.

It speaks to the special and enduring relationship that the United States still has with Great Britain. President Trump started working on a trade deal with the UK before he took office. It remains to be seen how those details emerge. There have already been rumblings in Europe about the US giving most favored nation trade status to the UK. Their question is "what about us?"

The MLK bust is still there as well, but Churchill is back.

The Women's March on DC

I only have one question. What is their point beyond the fact that they want the right to kill their children in utero on a whim?

There is a picture of a couple at the protest (right). In the picture you'll see a man and a woman (presumably - they may be trannies). Each are wearing vagina hats. They have a baby, who they didn't kill - give credit where it's due. The baby is also wearing a vagina hat. I can't help but believe that one or both of them are government employees inside the DC Beltway.

Everyone has a right to protest. In Wisconsin they might wear styrofoam cheese hats. In DC, it's a vagina hat. In California, maybe a sombrero - or is that cultural appropriation? It's tough for me to keep up.

I hope that the women and their castrati enjoyed their day. They can return home, satisfied that they fired a shot for reproductive rights.

President Trump didn't watch the protest. He was at the CIA dealing with the nation's security.

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

- Mahatma Gandhi

The hireling progs who go out and destroy and loot are trying to follow Alinsky's tenth rule for radicals: The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition. It is this unceasing pressure that results in the reactions from the opposition that are essential for the success of the campaign.

However the rioting and lawlessness during the primary and the general election that was focused on Donald Trump and paid for by the DNC and George Soros (thanks Wikileaks for the head's up) did not have the desired effect. It did not cause the men and women who voted for President Trump to cower in fear.

Conspiracy to commit a felony is a crime in America. The FBI needs to investigate the ringleaders and build cases against them. Then they need to go to prison. Will they? It remains to be seen.

It's time to make America safe again.

Some of the Republicans were self-deluding when they thought that once President Trump took office, that he'd just hang out and golf occasionally the way that Barack did. Trump works 18 hour days...and has all his life...

HOLLYWOOD

Insult is heaped upon injury as Hollywood "C-List" celebs came out against Donald Trump and America didn't care. The inevitable reaction is - "Don't you know who I am? People kiss my butt. You should listen to me." And still people don't listen. Nobody believes their own press more than the Hollywood types, and it burns when they're rejected.

THE ERA OF OBAMANATION

During the tenure of the occasional Muslim, America spent $10 trillion down a rat hole. There is absolutely nothing to show for it. The trillion dollar stimulus packages vanished through the cracks as well and nothing ended up better off for the spending.

TURNING THE CORNER

The only practical way out of the $21 trillion in debt is to sell energy that exists under government land (owned by The People). (more here) The value of energy products on US Government land is in excess of $50 trillion. The Trump plan will begin by repealing executive orders dealing with the "Waters of America" and the Climate Action Plan. Those will be gone sometime early next week. The concept of America as completely energy self sufficient with a robust oil, gas and coal export program is particularly appealing because we can grow economically as a nation at the same time that we add to our national security by not needing anything from the Middle East.

Friday, January 20, 2017

What if, as the progs assert, the US election should be decided by popular vote alone? California and New York would be the only states that matter, with Texas a close third, and the rest of the nation be damned. True, there would be a lot more concern about who goes into which restroom, and whether there should be 31 genders as New York asserts, or 16 that California recognizes... But what would it really mean to disenfranchise the rest of the nation from the political process? Revolution.

The President and First Lady of the United States

Being a Constitutionalist, I understand why things were set up the way that they were and there is deep wisdom behind it. Barack came into office with the slogan, 'change and rearrange' with his heartfelt wish to fundamentally transform America. He tried to break the nation. What happened? He lost hegemony in the legislature two years later so tried to rule with his pen and his telephone. Eight years later, America elects the precise opposite of Barack with President Trump. The system is restored, his legacy will be wiped from the nation and balance will be established. Whether President Trump will go down in history as a hero or a villain will depend on what he does, not what he says.

Elsewhere...China isn't happy because they planned on a Sino-Centric world and that may no longer be as easy to pull off as it would have if America continued to shrink from the world stage. Russia is looking with interest at how it will all turn out with a resurgent USA. The US-UK relationship will be rebuilt, stronger than ever. Mexico will pay for a wall on its northern border.

The Progressive Melt-Downs. This is a series of YouTube compilations that demonstrates that the smug, corrupt, elite, mainstream media and their reading of We The People couldn't be more wrong. It's particularly entertaining today -- and it's my gift to you.

The people who pull the levers and push the buttons on politics and policy in the People's Republic of China have been satisfied with the relationship that they had with the Obama Administration. Essentially Barack walked away from the store, left the door unlocked and allowed the looters to do as they would.

January 20, 2017 marks a new starting point and a test of wills and strength between an emerging Sino-centric world order and a re-energized US-centric world order.

Things in Washington DC have changed. President Trump invited Taiwan to send a delegation to his inauguration. The delegation, led by a former premier, arrived in the US on January 17th.

On 19 January, the spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said, “We are opposed to the Taiwan authorities for sending personnel to the United States in whatever excuses to conduct activities that will undermine China-US relations. We again urge the relevant US side not to allow the Taiwan authorities to send the so-called delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of the US President, and not to engage in any forms of official contacts with Taiwan.”

PRC Schooling President Trump

PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ms. Hua Chunying answered a question about China’s relations with the new US administration. Her reply is China official position regarding the US on the eve of inauguration.

“A healthy and stable development of China-US relations is in line with the common interests of the people in the two countries. In fact, the development of China-US relations over the last few years has fully proved that China and the United States have far more common interests than differences, and cooperation between China and the United States can accomplish many things in a big way for the benefits of the two countries and the world.”

“We look forward to work hard with the new US administration, continue to uphold the principles of non-confrontation, non-conflict, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation, and continue to expand cooperation on bilateral, regional and global issues, and other fields to strive to push China-US relations toward greater development at a new starting point.”

Hua remarks essentially are a tutorial for the benefit of the US President-elect, laying out China’s expectations of American behavior. Hua was careful to avoid provocative statements, but Chinese behavior in the past eight years belies her reassurances about stability and “non-confrontation”. The Chinese have their own definitions of the principles for managing state relations “in a healthy and stable way.” The “correct direction” always favors China.

Reality

China is in confrontation with both Koreas; Japan; all the countries in southeast Asia except the Philippines; Burma, and India. Stability means that other states affected by Chinese initiatives should not react aggressively to protect their interests.

Non-confrontation applies to the US Navy and Japan’s self-defense forces, but not to Chinese ships intruding in the Senkakus or to China’s claim to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. In 2012, Chinese forces simply seized the Philippine territory of Scarborough Shoal by force.

Chinese and North Korean missiles that can target South Korea and Japan are not provocative, but the installation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile systems in South Korea and Japan is destabilizing. US bases are destabilizing, but the Chinese base in Djibouti is not.

Improvements to Vietnam’s islands are provocative, but China’s militarization of its man-made islets is not. President Xi’s Silk Road and Belt projects offer significant economic benefits to cooperating countries at the price of compromising their security and redirecting world trade. China’s reach is now farther than ever in Chinese history.

China’s focus on common interests ignores the much weightier issues on which national interests diverge, including North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs. Plus, there is a pattern. Chinese initiatives invariably are stabilizing and benign, so the Chinese assert. Resistance, disagreement or counter-initiatives, perforce, must be destabilizing and malign.

The statement of principles is beguiling. No one could object the principles, but the Chinese do not practice them. Nor do the Russians. They are for others – the victims and targets -- to practice. Additionally, they appear to support the existing international order, as suggested by President Xi in Davos. However, they also help the China Dream in which China is building a new Sino-centric world order.

President Trump

The old relationship with China ends today. A new relationship begins, and there will be new rules that come out of it. The negotiation has begun and all of the chips are on the table. Commander Seventh Fleet will have his hands full with China and East Asia.

The cozy relationship building between China and Russia may also be coming to an end with a US policy that tends to favor rapprochement with Russia. This will be vexing to China as it finds itself isolated once again. The US has more to gain by working with Russia than it does with China and that relationship will tend to starve China of energy.

Watch the Russian response to this very carefully. They want to know how far to push things. If they cooperate with the US against ISIS and pull back in areas where they are currently expanding, the US will reward Russia with trade and favored status. The question for Russia is whether guns or butter are in its interests. Expect to be surprised - possibly in a good way. China has an 800 million man army (including People's militia) on the Russian southern border. America forgets that and the Russians never do. China would not invade Russia, but they ultimately pose a larger threat to Russia in the next twenty years than the US does -- if the US does not push NATO forward even more aggressively to the Russian border areas. Status quo may be good enough for Russia.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

I'm optimistic about America's future both at home and abroad. The inauguration of President Trump will change the malaise that hung over the nation for a long time.

Despite what Barack would have you believe, the American economy has been stagnant and depressing during his watch. It worked out well for those living in the beltway or who were the recipients of $10 trillion in deficit spending during his term in office, but most of America has felt deflated. That was reflected in the election of President Trump. Things have gone wrong and they need to be changed in so many ways.

America's relationships with other countries will be redefined. There is a pending trade deal with the UK that will pick up any remaining hardship from BREXIT. I see that carved out in the first 60 days of the Trump presidency. Britain and the US have a traditional special relationship that Barack shat on. That's about to be repaired. It's emblematic of the massive repair job that America needs.

You don't hear much from the Islamic states bashing the USA these days. Iran doesn't want us to participate in the Syrian peace talks, but the rhetoric is dialed way back. I expect that the chatter will resume, but possibly in a far more circumspect way. Barack, the apologist has been replaced by a man who is less likely to use military force than his predecessor -- but if pushed to it, will let slip Mad Dog Mattis and his team of professionals. This is not lost on the Middle Eastern kingdoms.

The Obama Years, or the ObamaNation, exemplified mediocrity. I've heard Afro-American commentators on Fox News who are concerned by "mediocre negroes". I think that they were concerned about the wrong one - except that the one they should have been worried about is half white. Be that as it may,

Times are changing, the progs are in full melt down and we will see America become great again.

I don't think that you will see President Trump go on an "American apology tour" and I think that it will be a cold day in hell before he bows to petty potentates and dictators around the world. Progs bemoan that, but I think that it's a very good thing.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

China, and by that, I mean the mandarins in the politburo who pull the levers in the government, almost always reacts with an underpinning emotion that is difficult to see unless you have met some of these folks in person. They are not Americans. Not even close. They have a difficult time understanding Americans. To his credit, President Trump nominated Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as the next U.S. ambassador to China, choosing a longstanding friend of Beijing. His choice of Rex Tillarson as Secretary of State is a choice of a reasonable, intelligent, tough but fair man who has a keen understanding of international affairs. Those are not the choices of a mad man, but of a negotiator who wants the best team in play. It's a stark departure from the Obama Years when political functionaries and buffoons represented Barack. China gets all of this, but still, they are confused and worried in an emotional way.

Two days ago, the government-run newspaper China Daily published a terse and threatening restatement of China’s official reaction to President-elect Trump’s comments about “one China.” The article begins with a summary of the action-reaction cycle.

This is important for those of you who are China watchers.

The map includes Taiwan as being part of China...

China’s first reaction was to blame Taiwan for maneuvering an inexperienced president-elect into taking a phone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. The Chinese called this a "trick".

After the President-elect’s second comment that “one China’ is negotiable, Chinese officials played down the remark as a misunderstanding or bluster. China reacted to this with a carefully phrased clarification of China’s position that acceptance of “one China’ is the bedrock of China’s relationships with the US.

On 13 January, the President-elect restated that “one China’ is negotiable. Since that remark, the Chinese leadership has concluded that the President-elect means what he said. The 13 January article carries the message that China also means what it said. The final five paragraphs follow.

“,,,It seems wishful thinking to assume Trump and his team's remarks on Taiwan have been based on bluster or miscalculation. On the contrary, it appears the next administration is intending to use the one-China policy as its trump card.”

“Taiwan has been off limits in China-US diplomacy thanks to the understanding that it is a Pandora's box of lethal potential, and that opening it may upend the hard-earned, firmly held fundamentals governing the relationship.”

“If Trump is determined to use this gambit on taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves.”

“It would be good if, after his inauguration, Trump can demonstrate more statesmanship. But Beijing should not count on his raising the stakes being a pre-inauguration bluff, and instead be prepared for him to continue backing this bet.”

“It may be costly. But it will prove a worthy price to pay to make the next US president aware of the special sensitivity, and serious consequences of his Taiwan game.”

The threat statement was spun by the corrupt, elite mainstream media and intermixed facts with opinions. They all but obliterated the meaning, so it is for you to make sense of it as best you are able without their "take" on the message.

The message conveys that the Chinese already have prepared their retaliation campaign. Early preparation for the worst outcome is a distinctive feature of Chinese crisis management style. They prepare the most damaging actions for the worst possible outcomes and then wait and see whether events dictate that they must apply them all or only some of them.

The Chinese work backward from the worst outcome to the most benign outcome. They also always warn their target multiple times to afford opportunities for the target to mend its ways or manners.

The China Daily article indicates that only contingency decisions have been made. The implementation of the campaign depends on “use of this gambit,” in other words, on what the new administration does, not what it says.

The article contains the most direct language of threat by the Chinese leadership that I have read. Even before the Chinese invasion of northern Vietnam in 1979, the Chinese did not warn the Vietnamese in language as blunt as that above.

The Chinese are not certain what the President-elect means by the assertion that “one China” is negotiable. That sentence is ambiguous. For example, it could mean that the US accepts the principle of “one China,” but the new administration wants more cooperation on the terms of trade and investment in China.

However, the Chinese are concerned that the language means that the principle itself is up for negotiation and might be abandoned. They are prepared for either eventuality. On the principle of “one China”, China is prepared to use military force and sustain whatever costs it takes to preserve “one China.”

They are prepared to hold Taiwan and its population hostage to the principle of “one China” and pay severe costs to prevent a declaration of independence by Taiwan. That is a propaganda indicator of military action.

Housekeeping

As of January 1, 2017 this blog began to receive anonymous posts. I try not to delete them, but if you want to be taken seriously here, you need to identify yourself, if only by some sort of cryptonym.

Welcome to Virtual Mirage

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you can't help that," said the cat. "We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad."

"How do you know I'm mad," asked Alice?

"You must be," said the cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

Good Morning

Virtual Mirage - What's on the other side of the mirror? Ask Alice how deep the rabbit hole really goes.

This blog is an extension of MY JOURNEY because sometimes my journey needs more explanation, and sometimes there is more to be said than can be expressed on one ordinary blog.

Sometimes it's politics (very serious), sometimes I address the human condition with a dose of humor, and other times it may seem as if the track is headed in a unique direction. I can be a complicated guy at times.

There are a few things you'll find I consider:

* Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

* Sometimes the questions are complex but the answers are simple.

* Love is the only condition where the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

* Steers do not sign treaties with meat packers. (think on that)

* Taxes are NEVER levied for the benefit of the taxed.

* The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no victory possible in defense.

WHITE POWDER (Novel)

There is something intoxicating about a secret.

THE OLD WHORE (NOVEL)

In the peculiar culture of the Central Intelligence Agency, "old whores" are people who will do whatever it takes to get the job done, irrespective of the cost.

EXILES FROM EDEN (NOVEL)

Sparks fly as two star-crossed lovers meet. He runs toward trouble as she yearns for something missing. And it ends in a flight from and toward justice.

About Me

Today, I balance work and play as much as anyone can. All things remaining equal, play is more important. Life is short - it's important to make every day count for something, if only to yourself.
I'm a former tinker/tailor/soldier/sailor who has now decided that maybe it really wasn't all done for nothing.